Saturday, August 23, 2008

Obama Finally Has a Pit Bull

Joe Biden might be able to save Obama from turning into the 2008 version of Michael Dukakis, Al Gore and John Kerry. Obama seems determined to stay on the “high road” while he gets continually shat on by the Republican Hate Machine. How’d that work out for his three predecessors?

Biden has some of the criteria that Obama lacks. He has experience (several decades in the Senate) and an extensive knowledge of foreign policy. He's Catholic and comes from a working class background.

But most importantly, he's quick-witted, blunt and goes for the jugular when necessary. The next Republican sleazewipe who takes a shot at Obama is gonna be picking his teeth up off the sidewalk with his broken fingers (figuratively of course).

Biden has already gotten in a few one-liners about the, uh, togetherness of Bush and McCain during the past eight years. He pointed out that McCain has voted with Bush about 90% of the time. He even recycled some of McCain’s own quotes, where McCain said he was “totally in agreement and support of President Bush” on “the most important issues of our day.”

He also got off a line about McCain’s seven houses. He was talking about sitting at the kitchen table, going over the bills, and said: “That's not a worry John McCain has… He will have to figure out which of the seven kitchen tables to sit at.”

Over the years he's made a lot of shoot-from-the-hip comebacks that are easily comparable to Lloyd Bentsen’s famous jab at Dan Quayle: “…Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy.”

During the next few months there should be numerous debates and press conferences where Biden leaves McCain and his VP nominee with that Dan Quayle deer-caught-in-the-headlights facial expression.

14 Comments:

The government will be changing; curtousy of the present "Idiot In Chief" There's just no getting around the debt. Russia, China, and a slew of other's are the creditors, and own the IOU's.

I am not all that crazy about Obama, or any other puppets. I think Obama, and now Biden represent the best chance at the average USAmerican, and MY families still there, at having a normal life without to much strife.

I do a little of this, and that for ends meat. I watch different financials daily. Currently there is no end in sight for OUR US economy's collapse. It is working well for me out of the country, but I love my family there, and care for MY fellow countrymen.

The only hope for OUR country at all is Obama/Biden; otherwise the countries holding OUR debt, created by Dubya will collect sooner than later.

Overall I like the move. It was a good one and Biden can more than hold his own in any debate, talk show and so on. I really hope this does not turn into a rehash of the awful Kerry campaign but so far, I don't think so.

AHB: You're right, there's a lot going on globally that affects all of us. Strings are being pulled, and most of this has nothing to do with who's president of the United States. But as long as that's the way it is, I think Obama-Biden is the best hope we've got right now.

Everybody needs to do whatever they have to do to get by; and the more "off the grid" everybody is, the better off we'll all be.

Rockync: Joe definitely won't take any of these swiftboatings lying down. I think the ghosts of John Kerry, Al Gore and Michael Dukakis have finally been exorcised.

Ricardo: I agree; this was a good move. Any possible running mate would have disadvantages, but I think Biden was as good a choice as any. He has the experience and that fight-back quality that Obama lacks.

And you know that whomever McCain's handlers pick for VP won't be able to verbally keep up.

You're right, I doubt most of us would pick Obama-Biden, but given the alternative, fucking yikes. But as you and AHB say, weaning ourselves off the grid bit by bit is the safest route, soften the cushion when the collapse comes, and they always do for empires. Let's hope we go the way of Britain and not the Byzantines for example.

I feel good about the choice. Biden reminds me of the Sean Connery character in The Untouchables...a tough old bastard you're glad to have in your corner cuz he knows how to take the fight to the other side. And eloquent too.

Erik: "My Bodyguard" -- LOL. I forgot about that movie. I think I still have the video somewhere.

But presidential candidates do this frequently. I think Obama would be less effective if he got reduced to fighting fire with fire every time the swiftboaters launch another attack. And since Biden has a much more blunt manner, I think their 2 roles will be perfect together.

It's sad when we have to choose our candidates based on whose the lesser of two evils rather on their policies. I do like Obama but there's a part of me that keeps thinking he's not going to get much done (maybe that's my cynical side). He's running like every other politician...in dire times of crisis, he picks what people cling to...hope and change and runs with it. Lately, he's been straddling the fence trying to get republicans to vote for him by not opposing FISA and Bush's Faith Base Initiative. Biden was a safe choice because most of my conservative friends actually like the guy because of his foreign policy experience so it gives Obama an advantage.

But that's just my two cents, hope he lives up to his message of change, diverting away from old politics, and changing things in Washington.

Jo: I like Obama but it's hard to tell how much difference he'll make if he's elected. It could be that lobbyists and other power brokers are so entrenched that changing presidents just means there's a different puppet on display.

It sucks that he's been flipflopping and moving to the center, but that might be the only way to get elected. Whether it makes any difference or not, I still want him and not McCain.